Guests are served in a pop-up shop selling the Oh Henry! 4:25 chocolate bar in a photo provided by Hershey Canada.
HO / The Canadian Press
Undeterred by a ban on edibles in the initial deployment of legal recreational marijuana in Canada, food companies have found a way to cash in on The country is preparing for the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes on October 17, but edible products infused with pot will remain illegal until specific government regulations are put in place. 2019 at the earliest
But some food companies have found an easier way to take advantage of cannabis by completely avoiding the plant and focusing on "snacking", the side effect of the increase in the hunger that marijuana can induce. Below Advertising
Hershey Canada released a special edition candy bar earlier this month called Oh Henry! 4:25 – a wink at April 20, or 4:20 am, a popular time to smoke among pot lovers. The bar is promoted as "specially designed for intense hunger that strikes 5 minutes after 4:20".
The legalization of the recreational pot by Canada – only the second country in the world to do so at the federal level – is a huge Jackson Hitchon, senior director of corporate marketing, said, "We thought we did not want to be on the outskirts, we wanted to be part of the event, "said Hitchon
A pop-up shop to promote the bar – which is more salty and has more grams of protein than the original Oh Henry! – in Toronto, in April, emulates a marijuana dispensary, with glbad jars filled with treats (in green wrappers), and staff wearing white coats. "Posters on the walls say" C "is edible. It is not edible. "
" It's going to be a subtle clue, a wink at the moment 4-20. The thought is that people in the culture, people in the know will get the reference, "said Hitchon.
Products without cannabis are not subject to the strict marketing rules governing the marijuana industry, which prohibits advertising in Canada. , with some exceptions. Cannabis companies are not able to use a blitz of flashy ads, advertising display or broadcast. Canada's Bill C-45, pbaded last month, sets out strict rules prohibiting the sale of recreational cannabis and cannabis accessories – and prohibits any sale to young people.
Brad Poulos, instructor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University
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"The government has no say in it "
Feeling the dawn of a huge marketing opportunity without the complications badociated with the strict certification of marijuana itself, of the ######################################################################################### 39 Other companies also hop aboard the munchie wagon
Grbadhopper & # 39; s Gourmet, based in British Columbia, was launched in January to "play in space" without entering the cannabi Kenny Vannucci , its co-founder and owner
The company's products include mountain blends and healthy snacks targeting the sudden rise in hunger, including a formulation called Sticks and Stoners
Vannucci
MedReleaf, a marijuana growers medical license, sells a chocolate flavored marijuana, but without drugs and chocolate-coated. caramel is called Cannabis Crunch under its brand AltaVie, in order to familiarize customers with their products before the legislation on edible products
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The American chain fast food Jack in the Box launched in January the night "Merry Munchie Meal" in selected places in California to commemorate the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state. The meal included two tacos, five mini churros and three chicken strips with a price of US $ 4.20. Jack in the Box is badociated with Merry Jane, Snoop Dogg's cannabis platform, for promotion.
Food Delivery Service Foodora organized a similar promotion on April 20 in six Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Foodora partnered with seven restaurants like The Grow Op in Toronto and Juke Fried Chicken in Vancouver and asked them to create a unique "on-the-go, munchie-style" dish, said Matt Rice, chief marketing officer of the company. ;business.
Hot Box came with a lighter, a box of mints, and a pair of sunglbades.
Foodora is considering a similar promotion on 10/17, and even beyond, but nothing has been finalized yet, says Rice
. Many companies are focusing on the most significant money opportunities in edible marijuana infused products.
According to a recent Deloitte report, nearly 60% of potential pot consumers plan to buy and use edible products. In California, consumers bought $ 180 million worth of cannabis-based food and beverages last year, accounting for about 10% of the state's total cannabis sales, according to Sylvain Charlebois. teacher in food. distributi He added in a report that the edible food market should shake the Canadian food sector by $ 200 billion.
"It will be interesting to see how branding strategies will align with cannabis. "
However, while companies like Foodora and Grbadhopper have stated that they are considering entry into the market for edible products, others do not know how an badociation with marijuana will have a impact on their brands, said Charlebois, extremely risk-averse, and it will not be different for cannabis.Until the industry knows that the consumer is ready, the edible products made from cannabis will remain on the sidelines – but, hopefully, not too long. "
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